Just don't rely on stereotypes or commonly held miss beliefs, if you are worried about how "safe" one airline is over another. The vast majority of passengers just don't have access to the information they need to make an informed decision on how safe an airline is. Sure, there's tons of aviation websites now that try and post every accident and incident that ever happens in aircraft (
www.avherald.com is my favorite) but they are all biased in one form or another. Even the national government run regulatory agencies are not 100% unbiased. I read practically every incident report from Transport Canada and a large number from the FAA as well and many times, I have had personal knowledge of details from some of these incidents and know information not published in the reports and the agencies often times downplay the root cause of the accident so as not to cause public embarrassment to the parties involved. When an aerospace giant like Boeing, for example, employees hundreds of thousands of people and generates billions in tax dollars, the government always thinks twice about what it says publicly about them.
The average flyer should instead reply on their own observations and "gut feelings" to decide it they want to risk flying on a certain carrier. Often times, just observing the employees will tell you everything you need to know. If the pilots, flight attendants and ticket agents don't appear to be competent and professional, then why would the mechanics be any different. Or the executives that decide whether they want to spend the $$$ on repairs and parts replacement?
Just an couple examples of how something that is "common knowledge" is not really correct...
- Cubana is listed frequently as having one of the worst safety records in the aviation industry. What nobody tells you is that they are the worst of the
few that actually report their incidents publicly. In fact, there are hundreds of other airlines that do not publish their safety information and/or are in countries where it is not required. IMO, the reason for Cubana's poor rating is the use of old soviet era aircraft in Cuba itself, for regional use. Internationally, they lease aircraft from France with fully trained French crews along with one or two Cuban crew members in charge. While their in-flight service is lacking, I have found the flights themselves to be efficient, safe and very professional and on modern well-maintained equipment.
If I had to pigeon hole one region to avoid, i would have to say African regionals. That area of the world is filled with the most dangerous regionals you can imagine. When I read about crashes like ("all 26 passengers dead after Twin Otter crashes in Nigerian back country") I just shake my head (BTW, the Twin Otter usually is only configured to hold 12-16 passengers max)
- My second example is the common belief that American carriers are , by and large, safer then most other countries. Sure, the nationals are under a microscope all the time and held to a high standard, but it's the small regionals that you have to watch out for. How many people here would be surprised to learn that if they picked one random carrier out in the US and booked a flight today, they have a very good chance of getting a crew that has two pilots making less money then what your K*D gets working at McDonalds? And that they have the absolute minimum amount of experience and hours needed to fly that plane? Sure they may have 1500 hours total time flying cesnas at their home field, but they may have as little as 50 hours only on that type of large turbojet aircraft
There is such a shortage of new trained pilots in the world right now, that regionals are taking ANYONE who meets the minimum requirements. Plus these new pilots are having to work insane hours and make shit for pay until they have sevral years under their belt and can move up the ladder.
Ok, enough of my aviation safety rant
As for turbulence... as Srilm already said, it's not a big issue to the aircraft's safety. But it is the main reason why you are required to stay seated and belted in when not moving around on an aircraft. There have been several flight attendants killed over the years from CAT (clear air turbulence) . Nowadays, even the FA's will jump to their seats and buckle up, whenever the captain tells them theirs turbulence ahead.
My worst experience of turbulence was in the high arctic of Canada, where I used to fly everyday back in the early 90's. Middle of the night and we were on approach to Pond Inlet, NWT, and I was in the lav having a piss when the plane hit an air pocket and dropped 50 feet instantly. I was lifted off my feet and hit my head on the ceiling and then was thrown to the side. The FA thought I was dead and knocked on the door asking if I was OK. I had to tell her to pass me a roll of paper towels as i just decorated the whole lav with piss
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two circles and all was good, but got to San Jose and it was a black out... still had fun
